Shipping container



Oct. 12, 1965 W. S. HASSLER SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed July 17, 1963 Inv entor ;l o 5 I ll United States Patent 3,211,283 SHIPPING CONTAINER Winfield S. Hassler, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The American Library Association, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 17, 1963, Ser. No. 295,686 4 Claims. '(Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to an improved shipping container, and more particularly it relates to an improved container adapted to isolate the article to be shipped from the walls of the container.

The development of a suitable container for the shipment of books, records, or the like, has long posed a problem to persons concerned with this service. Many attempts have been made from time to time to provide solutions to this difficult problem in the development of suitable containers adapted safely to transfer such goods through the mails or other shipping media. The problems encountered in the development of such a container involve durability, weight, economy in manufacture and use of the container, and other afiiliated problems.

In the library service field, for example, books, or the like, often are shipped between libraries. These book shipments also may occur in lending library situations where articles are shipped to the borrower in a reusable container in which the article is to be returned. Books, records, documents, and other similar items all may be involved and require the use of such shipping containers. The expense involved in the use of a throw-away container of cardboard, pressed paper, or the like, is a relatively large portion of the mailing and handling costs of such service and on that basis is sought to be avoided. In this field economy of operation is most important and considerable attention must be given to development of service components wherein such costs may be minimized. Additionally, the typical cardboard shipping container may give rise to damage of the article shipped due to the rough handling experienced in shipment of such articles through the mails or other shipping media. It thus is seen that not only may the container and shipping costs be relatively high but additional losses may be suffered through damage or loss of the article shipped and the subsequent requirement for replacement of the article.

The present invention is directed to the provision of an improved, reusable shipping container that will optimize container costs, minimize overall shipping expenses, will assure protection of the article to be shipped and thereby avoid damages and replacement costs otherwise incurred. The improved container involves the use of a partially or fully telescoped container having slings positioned therein. The slings are adapted to engage and afiix the article to be shipped within the container in spaced relation to the Walls thereof so that no damage may occur through impact of the article with the walls during shipment or handling. It should be observed that a one piece hinged or two piece telescoped container may be employed. The tWo piece container is illustrated as a preferred embodiment as providing greater flexibility in use. The material employed in construction of the container is not critical. It should be noted, however, that a rigid material will provide greater protection in shipment. The slings preferably are provided with releasable pressure sensitive fastening means so that the packing of the article Within the container may readily be accomplished with positive assurance of rigid packing within the container. The sling arrangement and fastening means associated therewith will protect the corners of the book from damage Without the use of buckles, or the like, which may themselves give rise to conditions that result in damage to the article being shipped.

It is, accordingly, a general object of the present invention to provide an improved shipping container.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved shipping container having means associated therewith to affix the article to be shipped in position isolated from the walls of the container.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved shipping container having slings adapted to be folded over the article to be shipped and adapted to be fastened by the application of pressure.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved container having article packing means adapted to provide size flexibility within a predetermined range for each container.

An additional object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved shipping container having slings to affix the article to be shipped within the container without sling engagement of the corner portions of the article.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved shipping container having article packaging means integrally associated with the container.

Another object resides in the provsion of an improved shipping container having rigid protective wall portions and means integral With and within the container to isolate an article disposed within the container from the inner surfaces of the wall portions, said means adapted to suspend the article with sufficient rigidity within the container to prevent shifing of the article but having sufficient flexibility to absorb impact forces imparted to the means through the container walls.

An additional object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved reusable shipping container that is economical to manufacture, easy to use, is durable to permit extended reuse of the carton and that is relatively light to avoid disproportionately large shipping costs for shipment of the container with the article to be shipped.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view, in perspective, of the assembled shipping container of the present invention illustrating the two-piece container;

FIGURE 2 is a view, in perspective, of the bottom part of the two-piece shipping container showing the container closure straps affixed thereto;

FIGURE 3 is a view, in perspective, of the bottom part shown in FIGURE 2 showing the container slings affixed thereto;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the bottom part of the container illustrating one of the slings secured over the article to be shipped;

FIGURE 5 is a view of the bottom part of the container showing the article fully secured Within said bottom part with the second sling overlapping the first sling; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the sling fastening means.

Referring more particularly now to the drawings, the shipping container is illustrated generally at 10. The preferred two part shipping container illustrated is comprised of a bottom 12 and a cover 14. The bottom 12 and cover 14 of the container are adapted to be assembled in partially or fully telescoped relation in the manner indicated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings wherein the cover 14 is slidably received over the bottom 12 of said container. A hinged one-piece container may also be employed with the side-walls of the hinged corner being slidably received over the side-walls of the bottom in telescopically engaged fashion.

A pair of closure straps 16 and 18 is afiixed to the exterior bottom wall of the bottom 12 of the container 10. The closure straps may be affixed to the bottom Wall by sewing them thereon, riveting them thereon, or by other conventional fastening means. Each of the straps 16 and 18 is provided with buckles 20 and 22, respectively. The buckles are adapted to engage the opposite terminal of each strap to define closure means for the container. When the container 14) is in assembled relation with the cover 14 fitted over the bottom 12 the closure straps 16 and 18 are folded over the cover 14 and the buckles engaged to rigidly affix the assembly. It should be observed that other suitable closure means may be provided to secure the cover and bottom parts together to define a unitary shipping assembly. Such means may include a clamp assembly whereby the cover is clamped to the bottom part of the container. Also conventional tying or taping of the assembled unit may be realized to present a unitary assembly.

As illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, a pair of slings 24 and 26 are afiixed to the interior of the bottom wall of the bottom part 12 of the container 10. The slings 24 and 26 preferably are afiixed to said bottom wall by stitching them thereto the stitching being done from the inside so that a smooth thread or stitched surface is presented to the interior of the container. Adhesives or other sling fastening means also may be employed. In order to avoid abrasive damage to the stitched portion extending through the bottom wall of the container exteriorly thereof an additional bottom panel (not shown) preferably is attached to the bottom wall of the bottom part 12 after the straps and slings are affixed to said bottom wall. The additional panel may be riveted to the bottom wall. The additional panel serves to isolate the otherwise exposed stitching from possible abrasive wear and damage to thereby extend the effective life of the reusable shipping carton.

The stitching of the slings 24 and 26 extends outwardly from the central portion of the bottom wall of the bottom 12 to a point inwardly of the side wall of said bottom 12 on each of said slings. The stitching or affixing of the slings to the bottom in this manner provides means to compensate for varying article sizes and increases flexibility in use of the container.

The terminal portions 24a-24b and 26a-26b of each of the slings 24 and 26, respectively, are provided with pressure engaging fastening means.

As shown more clearly in FIGURE 6 of the drawings, the fastening means employed in combination with the slings of the container are of a pressure sensitive mating type. One of the mating portions of the fastening means is provided with a series of loops L extending over the entire face of the overlay, said loops L extending upwardly and outwardly from the face of the material. The other mating portion of the fastening means defines a series of hooks H extending over the surface of the overlay and radially from the base of the overlay. The hooks I-I define the male member of the fastening means and the loops L define the female member of the fastening means. When the male and female members H and L, respectively, are moved into mating relation, the hooks H are adapted to deflect and enter into hooking interengaging relation with the loops L of the mating female overlay member. While all of the hooks may not engage the loops of the mating member a sufficient number are in interengaged fashion to provide positive locking interfacial adhesion to bind the mating members together. The type of fastener is known to the art and, of itself, forms no part of the present invention. It should be observed that a pressure sensitive reusable adhesive material would function in the same manner as the hook and loop fastener defined hereinabove and to that extent could be adapted for use with the slings.

As illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings one side of terminal portion 24a is provided with an overlay 30 with the female loop elements L while the opposite side of said terminal portion is provided with an overlay 32 with the male hook elements H. Terminal portion 24b of sling 24 is provided with a hook bearing overlay 32 on the upper face (as shown in FIGURE 3) while the opposite side of said terminal portion is provided with a loop bearing overlay 30. Terminal portion 26b of sling 26 is covered in the same manner as indicated for terminal portion 24b of sling 24 (as viewed in FIGURE 3). Terminal portion 26a of sling 26 is provided with a loop-bearing overlay 30 on one side thereof with no overlay on the opposite side. It should be observed that a hook-bearing overlay may be provided on the uncovered side of the terminal portion 26a of sling 26 in order to provide more flexibility in positioning the slings over the article to be shipped, such provision not departing from the spirit of the invention set forth herein.

As illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, an article B may be positioned within the bottom part of the container in approximately centered position over the stitching S, which stitching is illustrated in FIGURE 3. Approximate centering of the article B is all that is necessary in view of the fact that the slings S that support the article B within the bottom part of the container will sufiice to rigidly affix it in spaced relation to the side walls of said bottom 12.

The article B must be positioned away from the walls of the container in order to permit packaging in a manner such that no part of the article will contact said walls. It can readily be seen that contact with walls may result in damage to article B during handling and shipment. If the carton is dropped or mishandled in any other manner the impact that is imparted to the wall will be transferred to the article with possible damage to the corner sections or the edges of the hard covers of said article.

With the article B positioned within the bottom 12 of the container 10 the terminal portion 26a of the sling 26 is folded over the article and drawn tightly thereagainst, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The terminal portion 26b of sling 26 is provided with female overlay L overlay 30 on the side thereof facing away from said article B. The terminal portion 26b then is folded over the article B from the opposite direction whereby the male fastener portion 32 having the books H of said terminal portion 26b is brought into pressure engagement with the female overlay 30 of terminal portion 26a. The male fastener overlay 32 of terminal portion 26b is provided with a plurality of minute plastic hook like portions, as noted above, that engage the loops in the female overlay 30 thereby to defined positive interfacial interengagement and to afiix the article B firmly within the folded sling portions.

The upwardly facing side of the terminal portion 26b is provided with a loop bearing overlay 30 as defined 'hereinabove. The terminal portion 24a of sling 24 is folded over the article B and the hook bearing fastener overlay 32 of said portion brought into pressure engagement with the loop bearing overlay 30 of terminal portion 26b. In this manner the portion 24a is interfacially interengaged with said portion 26b. The portion 24b then is folded over the article B from the opposite direction as portion 24a and the hook bearing fastener overlay 32 thereon are brought into pressure engagement with the loop bearing overlay 30 of the portion 24a. A completed packaging of the book or other article thus is realized in this manner, that is, by folding the terminal portions of the orthogonally disposed slings over the article to firmly position said article within the bottom of the container.

The slings preferably are of such widths for each container as to assure free positioning of the article within the container. In the illustration set forth in the drawings the slings 24 and 26 are shown as being slightly narrower in total width than the Width of the article B being packaged. In this manner there is no restrictive engagement of the corner sections of the article. Wide sling widths distribute shock over large area-narrow slings give rise to pressure points. It can readily be seen that the corner sections of the article may readily be damaged either by impact forces acting upon said section or by packaging forces where slings, or the like, are brought into tight pressure engagement with said corner sections. These portions of the article are Weakest in that they are unsupported by adjacent sections and must absorb pressure or impact forces without sufficient resolution of the forces along adjacent cover portions. The tendency of such sections is to fold over resulting in a damaged article. The sling construction set forth herein is intended to obviate this source of possible damage.

The relatively wide sling Widths of the type illustrated in the drawings are adapted to distribute any shock forces over a relatively large area to provide effective dissipation of forces in a manner that is least likely to cause damage to the article. Narrow slings would not, of course, be effective to dissipate the shock forces and additionally would give rise to pressure points on the packaged article. These pressure points, of themselves, may result in damage to the article without additional forces acting thereagainst.

In the shipment of books, for example, it has long been a known problem that the back of book binding is most likely to fail first. This type of failure is precipitated by racking or lateral shifting of one horizontal section of the book with respect to adjacent horizontal sections. It can readily be seen than such racking will place twisting forces upon the book binding of the type that the binding is not designed to resist. These twisting forces may result in damage of the binding and loosening or complete separation of the cover sections and page sections. In order to avoid this type of damage during handling of the books or during shipment it is essential that the books be firmly positioned within the container and that no shifting of adjacent horizontal layers of the book be permitted. One manner in which damage of this type may be avoided is to assure firm positioning of the book within the container so that such lateral shifting will not occur. The slings employed in the container of the present invention serve firmly to aifix the book within the bottom of the container in such a manner as to prevent shifting of adjacent horizontal sections. This firm positioning is readily accomplished by tightly folding the terminal portions of the slings over the book and bringing the fastener portions into tight pressure engagement to define the completed packaging assembly. The slings of the container set forth herein should be sufficiently rigid to prevent racking of the book positioned therewithin but should possess suflicient inherent resiliency to absorb a substantial portion of the normal impact forces imparted to the container and therethrough to the slings during use of the container without transferring the total force to the book. Canvas may be employed as a suitable material for the sling members. A rubber or similar coating on the inner face of the slings will facilitate gripping of the book positioned therein to prevent shifting of the book during handling and shipment.

While a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown and described it will, of course, be understood that other modifications and alternative constructions may be used without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and alternative constructions as fall within their true spirit and scope.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An improved two part reuseable shipping container for shipping articles such as books and the like, comprising in combination:

a base having a bottom and associated side walls and a cover having a top and associated side walls, said base and said cover being adapted to be assembled in a closed telescoped relation;

closure strap means affixed to the exterior bottom wall of said container base and adapted to be folded over said cover to secure the same to said base; and

means for supporting an article placed in said container in a substantially centered spaced relation to said side Walls so as to avoid contact therewith, said means including a pair of resilient support slings affixed to a portion of the interior bottom wall of said container base in orthogonally related fashion and adapted to be folded over the article, and pressure engaging fastening means affixed to the terminal portions of each of said slings, the fastening means at one terminal portion of each of said slings being in overlapping relation to the associated fastening means at the opposite terminal portion thereof, respectively, when said slings are overlapped and to engage the same, said slings and associated fastening means being adapted to accomodate articles of varying sizes Within predetermined limits.

2. An improved two part reuseable shipping container for shipping articles such as books and the like, comprising in combination:

a base having a bottom and associated side walls and a cover having a top and asociated side walls, said base and said cover being adapted to be assembled in a closed telscoped relation;

a pair of closure straps aflixed to the exterior bottom wall of said container base and adapted to be folded over said cover to secure the same to said base; and

means for supporting an article placed in said container in a substantially centered spaced relation to said side Walls so as to avoid contact therewith, said means including a pair of resilient support slings atfixed to a portion of the interior bottom wall of said container and adapted to be folded over the article, and pressure engaging fastening means affixed to the terminal portions of each of said slings, the fastening means at one terminal portion of each of said slings being in overlapping relation to the associated fastening means at the opposite terminal portion thereof, respectively, when said slings are overlapped and to engage the same, said slings and associated fastening means being adapted to accommodate articles of varying sizes within predetermined limits, said slings being smaller width than the width of the article portion engaged by said slings whereby the corner sections of said article are unengaged by said support slings.

3. An improved two part reuseable container for shipping generally rectangularly shaped articles such as books and the like, comprising in combination:

a base having a bottom and associated side walls and a cover having a top and associated side walls, said base and said cover being adapted to be assembled in a closed telescoped relation;

a pair of closure straps atfixed to the exterior bottom wall of said container base and adapted to be folded over said cover to secure the same to said base; and

a pair of flexible slings afiixed to a portion of the interior bottom of said container base inwardly of the side wall, the terminal portions of each sling having fastening means affixed thereto, said fastening means defining interfacial interengagement upon application of pressure contact when respective terminal portions of said slings are in mating overlapping relation, said slings folding over and securing the rectangular article within the container in a substantially centered spaced relation to the side walls thereof, the width of each of said slings being narrower than the width of the article against which the sling is positioned so that the corner portions of the article are unengaged by said slings.

engaging the loop members of the mating portion to define interfacial interengagement between said pressure sensitive engaging means.

4. An improved two part reuseable shipping container for shipping articles such as books and the like, comprising in combination:

a base having a bottom and associated side walls and a cover having a top and associated side walls, said 10 base and said cover being adapted to be assembled in a closed telescoped relation;

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS a pair of closure straps affixed to a portion of the ex- 1 5 325 206 7 terior bottom wall of said container base and 1922354 8/33 Burke adapted to be folded over said cover to secure the 15 1 2, 9/36 Z Same and 2,144,071 1/39 Loth 206-62 means for supportlng an article placed in said con- 2,346,823 4/44 Curtis tainer in a substantialy centered spaced relation to 2,589,604 3/52 Cunningham 206 62 said side walls so as to avoid contact therewith, 7 5 77 5 Elmer 3 said means including a pair of resilient support slings 20 2 753 772 3/5 Williams 206 .46 afiixed to a portion of the interior bottom wall of said container base and folding over the article placed FOREIGN PATENTS in the container, and pressure sensitive engaging 1 031 34 53 France. means afiixed to the terminal portions of each of 349 645 6/31 Great B i i said slings, one of said pressure sensitive engaging means on one terminal portion of each of said sup- THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

2. AN IMPROVED TWO PART REUSABLE SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR SHIPPING ARTICLES SUCH AS BOOKS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A BASE HAVING A BOTTOM AND ASSOCIATED SIDE WALLS AND A COVER HAVING A TOP AND ASSOCIATED SIDE WALLS, SAID BASE AND SAID COVER BEING ADAPTED TO BE ASSEMBLED IN A CLOSED TELSCOPED RELATION; A PAIR OF CLOSURE STRAPS AFFIXED TO THE EXTERIOR BOTTOM WALL OF SAID CONTAINER BASE AND ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED OVER SAID COVER TO SECURE THE SAME TO SAID BASE; AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AN ARTICLE PLACED IN SAID CONTAINER IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CENTERED SPACED RELATION TO SAID SIDE WALLS SO AS TO AVOID CONTACT THEREWITH, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF RESILIENT SUPPORT SLINGS, AFFIXED TO A PORTION OF THE INTERIOR BOTTOM WALL OF SAID CONTAINER AND ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED OVER THE ARTICLE, AND PRESSURE ENGAGEING FASTENING MEANS AFFIXED TO THE TERMINAL PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID SLINGS, THE FASTENING MEANS AT ONE TERMINAL PORTION OF EACH OF SAID SLINGS BEING IN OVERLAPING RELATION TO THE ASSOCIATED FASTENIGN MEASN AT THE OPPOSITE TERMINAL PORTION THEREOF, RESPECTIVELY, WHEN SAID SLINGS ARE OVERLAPPED AND TO ENGAGE THE SAME, SAID SLINGS ARE ASSOCIATED FASTENING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE ARTICLES OF VARYING SIZES WITHIN PREDETERMINED LIMITS, SAID SLINGS BEING SMALLER WIDTH THAN THE WIDTH OF ARTICLE PORTION ENGAGED BY SAID SLINGS WHEREBY THE CORNER SECTIONS OF SAID ARTICLE ARE UNENGAGED BY SAID SUPPORT SLINGS. 